Essential Nonprofit SEO Resources for Every NGO Marketer

NTEN hosts a nonprofit conference each year for tech-savvy leaders in the .org sector. This year they flocked to Washington, D.C. to discuss, among many other topics, SEO for nonprofits.

The chief complaint about SEO was information overload. There are too many blog posts, algorithm updates and 180-degree changes in direction for a nonprofit marketer to digest and use for their organization.

SEOs are likely not known for their brevity. So, here it is: a list of nonprofit SEO resources that promises (or, at least, will try its hardest) not to overwhelm.

Why do Nonprofits Invest in SEO?

Until fairly recently, many nonprofits left SEO to the corporate world – websites that had a clear financial incentive to attract search engine users. That attitude is changing due to the evolution of search and a better understanding of how SEO contributes to broader nonprofit marketing initiatives.

Search has evolved dramatically over the last 5 years. Just think, Siri and Google Now are still in diapers and mobile search is on pace to surpass desktop search this year. Google answers billions of searches each day, more than any point in its history. To ignore search is to ignore a sizable and growing portion of any organization’s audience.

Nonprofits are also understanding how SEO starts new relationships, accomplishes hard marketing goals (like online donations) and soft goals (like brand awareness and thought leadership). There is a measurable incentive to appear in Google’s search results, and not just for publishers or consumer electronics retailers. There are many nonprofits on LunaMetrics’ clients page.

Social

The list may seem like a lot at first glance, but you don’t need to consume it all today. Save some leftovers by bookmarking it for the next time you have SEO questions. That way, it will be there waiting for you.

I look forward to meeting lots of new SEO experts at #15NTC next year!

Are there any SEO topics that should have made the list? Let me know in the comments.

Andrew Garberson is Manager of Search. He has led digital marketing efforts in a variety of settings, including agency, entrepreneurial and nonprofit environments, and has masters degrees in business administration and mass communications. An Iowan at heart and Pittsburgher in spirit, Andrew commutes on his 10-speed most days between March and December -- after all, he's only human.